Payroll Manager (18 Month Contract)

Overview:

At Saje Natural Wellness, we're nature's original farmacy, blending the superpower of plants so you can remedy real life, naturally. And like nature, we're continually growing! As we continue to build our team, we're seeking talented people to join us: in our stores, support offices, and distribution centres. We are a purpose-driven, people-first organization where collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurial mindsets thrive.

We look for individuals who have drive and warmth, agility and passion, and keep customer experience at the centre of everything they do.

At Saje, you’ll connect with a dynamic community and make a positive impact. Join our team and grow your career, alongside the most talented, hard working, and kind-hearted people out there. 

The impact you'll make:
Reporting to the Director, People & Total Rewards, the Payroll Manager provides leadership and oversight of Saje’s Canadian and U.S. payroll operations, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant payroll delivery across retail and corporate teams. 

This role is accountable for end-to-end payroll integrity, financial reconciliations, legislative compliance, internal controls, payroll systems, audit readiness, and continuous process improvement. Beyond overseeing payroll execution, the Manager proactively identifies risks, strengthens operational practices, and builds scalable processes. 
As a trusted partner across the organization, the Payroll Manager plays a critical role in ensuring payroll operations align with business needs, support organizational priorities, and uphold high standards of accuracy, compliance, and operational excellence. 

All Saje Team Members are responsible for contributing to Saje’s culture and maintaining a positive environment for themselves and their peers.
What you'll do:

Payroll Operations & Governance 

• Manage and oversee end-to-end payroll operations across Canada and the U.S., ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant processing for retail, distribution centre, and corporate employees.
• Manage complex payroll transactions, including compensation adjustments, bonuses, statutory deductions, remittances, terminations, and other payroll-related payments.
• Establish and maintain effective payroll controls, approval workflows, and standardized processes to mitigate risk, ensure accountability, and maintain operational integrity.
• Manage payroll reporting, ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and timely delivery of recurring and ad hoc reports to support compliance, financial reporting, and organizational decision-making. 

Payroll Accounting, Financial Controls & Audit 

• Manage payroll accounting activities in close partnership with Finance, including preparing and validating payroll journal entries, accruals, general ledger reconciliations, and departmental and cost centre allocations.
• Perform monthly reconciliations between payroll registers and the general ledger, investigating discrepancies, identifying root causes, and implementing corrective actions to ensure financial accuracy.
• Conduct comprehensive annual audits of all payroll earnings and deduction codes, ensuring accurate configuration, application, and compliance with legislative and accounting requirements.
• Manage payroll-related internal and external audits, including preparing supporting documentation, responding to audit inquiries, resolving findings, and maintaining strong financial controls and audit readiness. 

Payroll Compliance, Statutory Reporting & Year-End 

• Manage and execute year-end payroll activities across Canada and the U.S., including annual reconciliations, taxable benefit reviews, statutory reporting, tax filings, and employee tax documentation.
• Manage the preparation, reconciliation, and submission of applicable year-end filings, including Canadian T4s, T4As, and U.S. W-2s, ensuring accuracy and compliance with reporting deadlines.
• Manage workers' compensation payroll reporting across Canada and the U.S., including applicable provincial and state reporting, annual reconciliations, assessments, and audit requirements.
• Ensure compliance with Canadian and U.S. payroll legislation, taxation, employment standards, statutory remittances, and applicable reporting requirements.
• Partner closely with People Operations on compensation programs, leaves, terminations, statutory entitlements, and other complex employment and payroll matters.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes, assess their impact on payroll operations, and implement necessary process, policy, and system updates. 

Payroll Systems & Process Improvement 

• Manage payroll system configuration, data integrity, integrations, and controls, ensuring systems accurately support payroll operations and organizational requirements.
• Partner with IT, Finance, and external vendors to investigate and resolve complex system issues and maintain accurate payroll data.
• Identify and implement opportunities for automation and process standardization to reduce manual work, strengthen accuracy, and improve payroll efficiency.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive payroll documentation, standard operating procedures, record-keeping practices, and business continuity processes.
• Ensure payroll system changes are appropriately tested, validated, documented, and implemented with effective controls. 

Payroll Projects & Operational Strategy 

• Establish and execute payroll operational priorities aligned with organizational objectives, evolving business needs, and legislative requirements.
• Lead payroll-related projects and cross-functional initiatives from planning and stakeholder alignment through implementation and post-launch evaluation, ensuring effective change management and sustainable outcomes.
• Proactively assess payroll capabilities, operational risks, and emerging business requirements, providing recommendations to leadership on process enhancements, and opportunities to strengthen the payroll function. 

People Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership 

• Provide leadership, coaching, mentorship to a direct report, fostering technical expertise, accountability, and professional development.
• Manage workload priorities and operational coverage, ensuring continuity of payroll operations while remaining directly involved in payroll processing and complex issue resolution.
• Serve as a key escalation point for complex payroll matters, exercising sound judgment and ensuring timely, well-informed decisions.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships across Finance, FP&A, Retail Operations, Distribution centers and other business functions to ensure payroll practices support organizational needs.
• Communicate payroll risks, operational insights, and recommendations to key stakeholders and senior leadership, providing clear guidance and practical solutions. 

We'd love to hear from you if you have:

• Minimum 5 years of progressive payroll experience, including responsibility for complex payroll operations, and at least 2 years of direct people management experience.
• Canadian payroll certification (PCP or PLP), or a comparable U.S. payroll designation, is an asset.
• Strong Canadian and U.S. payroll knowledge, including multi-jurisdictional compliance, taxation, remittances and year-end reporting.
• Strong payroll accounting foundation: general ledger reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, cost allocations and internal controls.
• Experience designing or leading audits, investigating discrepancies, documenting findings, and implementing lasting remediation.
• Extensive cross-functional collaboration, especially with Finance, IT and Retail Operations.
• Experience with payroll/HRIS platforms and configuration, reporting and system controls; extensive Dayforce experience is a strong asset.
• Experience in a high-volume, multi-location environment; retail experience is an asset.
• Exceptional attention to detail, analytical judgment, confidentiality, and an ownership-driven, self-directed approach.
• Ability to make informed decisions, challenge existing practices, manage competing priorities, and influence partners. 

Why Saje?

Here at Saje, we understand that joining a team is an important decision to make, so we want to be sure you're supported to do your best work.
The compensation range on average for this position is from $85,000 - 95,000 annually. Base pay is dependent on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and internal equity. 
In addition to your base, we offer: 

• A hybrid way of working
• Flexible work hours based on business needs
• Wellness days to ensure you're taking care of your mental and physical health
• Health benefits - comprehensive health, vision and dental packages
• Paid sick days
• Generous product discount
• Full onboarding plan and onboarding buddy to help you settle in
• Employee Assistance Program - 24/7 support, resources, and information available to you and your family
• Paid time off to ensure you're resting & recharging
• Product training to help you learn about the benefits and efficacy of our 100% natural products to support your own wellness journey 

Note: The incentive programs, benefits, and perks have certain eligibility requirements. The company reserves the right to alter these incentive programs, benefits, and perks in whole or in part at any time without advance notice.  
Join our team! 
If this opportunity sounds like you, please apply in the link below. Not sure you're 100% the right fit? We encourage you to apply even if you don't have all of the listed qualifications. We offer a thorough onboarding experience to set you up for success, learning and development support, and help you to integrate seamlessly. 

All applications are viewed by a member of our team and therefore we do not use AI as part of our screening & selection process. We do use AI to transcribe our preliminary screening calls with our recruitment team. This job posting is for an existing vacancy on our team that we are presently hiring for. 

Saje provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants, and we believe the best teams are made up of diverse perspectives and people. We offer reasonable accommodations to candidates with disabilities throughout the recruitment process and will work with you to ensure you are supported while working at Saje.